Safety Stephen Griffin plans to transfer out of the Tennessee program in hopes of earning more playing time elsewhere, a program source confirmed to GoVols247 on Tuesday.

The move — and it was an amicable move — seems to make sense for Griffin, who will be a junior in the fall and would seem to be on the outside looking in for playing time at a position of major strength for the Vols.

His biggest play was that forced fumble, which happened moments after injuries forced him onto the field in the Vols’ win over Kentucky in 2016.

Foster followed Jones’ advice and wore the Tennessee towel on his hip throughout the passing drills that encompassed most of the afternoon. But while Foster was “feeling like a Vol” on Sunday, Tennessee stands firm in third place on his list of eight schools...

Currently, Tennessee sits behind Missouri and Georgia but ahead of South Carolina, Louisville, Southern Miss, Mississippi State and N.C. State. While Vols fans might be feeling good that they can at least jump over Georgia, a school that utilizes a pro-style quarterback, it isn’t that simple. Foster said that Georgia coach Kirby Smart has told him that he “needs” a running quarterback.

“The quarterbacks they’ve got on the roster now really pocket passers,” Foster said. “They need a quarterback that can run. They’re trying to change the tradition and stuff because when the pocket breaks down they can’t run.”

If Tennessee really wants to make a move on Foster, it’ll have to come through his mother.

“Really just get a better bond with my mom,” Foster said. “That’ll probably happen when I go up there on a visit.”

That’s really the missing link in the relationship. New Tennessee quarterbacks coach Mike Canales has been in touch with Foster “every day” lately and he plans on making another visit to Knoxville sometime in April, “probably” for the Orange and White game on April 22...

After picking commitments from a quarterback, running back and two wide receivers wide receiver, the Volunteers landed a defensive prospect in the form of 2018 linebacker Jacquez Jones, a 3-star linebacker out of Tuscaloosa.

Tennessee now has 8 commitments for the 2018 recruiting cycle. Vols landed their quarterback in Michael Penix on Saturday, a running back in JaShaun Corbin on Friday and a 2018 wide receiver in Jatavious Harris on Sunday. Volunteers also added a commitment from 2019 wide receiver Cam Wynn

Tennessee made a big move in the 247Sports team recruiting rankings for the 2018 class Friday with the commitment of Top247 quarterback Adrian Martinez.

Landing Martinez, a junior at Clovis West High School in Fresno, Calif., helped the Vols climb nine spots to No. 8 nationally in 247Sports' team rankings, which are based on the industry-generated 247Sports Composite.

Corbin, the No. 8 all-purpose back and No. 382 overall player in the Class of 2018, kept his commitment for less than a month before making his decision.

Maybe Corbin ends up back with the Vols, but de-commitments rarely work out that cleanly. So what’s next at running back for the Vols?

Vols’ top target has been 3-star in-state running back Master Teague III for some time now, and his decision is poised to come soon...

There’s also 3-star Gurley, Ala. running back Tae Provens.

Without Corbin’s de-commitment, Tennessee still would’ve had room in its class for Teague and Provens. So that brings the question of what Tennessee will end up doing with that spot. It’s possible that Tennessee could choose to go with three running backs anyway.

Tennessee has landed seven in-state players, including four of the Volunteer State’s top eight players by 247Sports’ composite rankings. And there’s a real chance that one or both of Greg Emerson and D’Andre Litaker (both defensive tackles) could give Tennessee at least half of the top-10 players in the state once everything is said and done.

“People have to think about, later in life, I want to live in Tennessee,” Harris said. “If I go to Alabama and come back to Tennessee, they’re going to know me as that guy that went to Alabama. If I go to Tennessee, they’re going to know me as that guy, he went in, he tried to help the program, he did all he could for Tennessee.”

“All these other schools are going to tell you you’re set for life if you graduate from here but when you graduate from the University of Tennessee, or if you go anywhere else and you graduate from there then you’re not going to want to stay there and live there if you don’t make it to the league,” Taylor said. “You’re going to want to come back to Tennessee. I’m just letting him know when you graduate from Tennessee, if you don’t make it to the league you’re still set for life. You get a great education at Tennessee and everybody’s going to take care of you.”

Both players tapped into the idea of how they’d be received in their home state once their football careers were over and expressed a desire to stay in the state that they grew up in. Others have said things along the same lines over the last couple months as well.

A commitment to Tennessee and a de-commitment from LSU changed the situation...

Commitment of JUCO defensive end Dorian Gerald boosted Tennesee’s class, pushing the number of commits to 17.

Tennessee also secured a surprise commitment on Monday from Greg Emerson while he was at Nike’s The Opening.

Outside linebacker Adam Anderson’s de-commitment from LSU was the final straw.

Tennessee has gained five commitments over the past five weeks. The other three commits are running backs Lyn-J Dixon and Anthony Grant, as well as defensive end Jamarcus Chatman, who until mid-June was an LSU commit.

First-year Tennessee defensive backs coach Charlton Warren on Wednesday night joined a handful of the Vols' other assistant coaches who currently are ranked among the nation's top recruiters by 247Sports

With the commitment of Top247 defensive back Trey Dean of Hampton, Ga., Warren jumped up to No. 39 nationally in the 247Sports recruiter rankings — which are based on prospects' 247Sports Composite ratings — giving Tennessee three assistant coaches who now are ranked among the nation's top 40 recruiters for the 2018 class and five assistants in the top 80.

Tennessee ranks as the No. 6 class in the country and the best in the SEC.

Six of the top-9 players from the Volunteer State in the Class of 2018 have committed to the Vols.

One spot closed at the moment is the running back position. The Vols have two commitments from Lyn-J Dixon and Anthony Grant. Dixon has started to receive interest in the past month from Clemson, though. Tennessee has kept interest going in other running back prospects such as Demarcus Townsend.

Vols received commitments from wide receiver Shocky Jacques-Louis and cornerback Jaycee Horn the week before. This week was much quieter, which isn’t a bad thing for Tennessee. With a recruiting class this full, the best thing from here on out is quiet weeks with no de-commitments.

Tennessee ranks as the No. 6 class in the country and No. 1 in the SEC.

Class of 2018 defensive end Jamarcus Chatman might prove to be one of Tennessee’s most imports commits before this recruiting cycle comes to an end.

The 6-foot-3, 266-pound Rome, Ga., product committed to LSU in April at the Tigers spring game. He de-committed over the summer and pledged on June 25 to sign with the Vols.

Chatman has de-committed before, so what are the chances he does it again?

Not very good.

“I’m solid,” Chatman said. “I’m going nowhere.”

Coach Butch Jones and defensive line coach Brady Hoke made strong impressions on Chatman in his recruitment. For Chatman to back off his commitment to LSU with Ed Orgeron pursuing him was a big win for Jones.

Chatman said the coaches made the difference in where he wanted to play college football.

“What sold me on Tennessee was how great the coaches were,” Chatman said. “When I got there, the atmosphere and the fan base, everyone treated me like they really wanted me. Coach was telling me how I could play early when I get there.”

Tennessee’s hot recruiting carried throughout the month of August, with the Vols bringing in five commitments in the month.

Vols now have 23 commitments in the Class of 2018. With a class that large, the to-do list can shrink, but also possibly becomes more important.

With the Tennessee season beginning Monday against Georgia Tech in Atlanta, what are some recruiting goals for Tennessee in September?

Tennessee currently holds the No. 6 class in our nation, which is good for best in the SEC.

This could end up being the best class Tennessee coach Butch Jones has brought to campus in his five years. It is imperative to keep most ... of the class together...

With 23 commitments, the attention will shift from pursuit to protecting. Keeping 4-star prospects like cornerback Jaycee Horn and safety Trey Dean committed will make or break the class.

Having nine in-state players committed will help matters, too. The best player in the class — offensive tackle Cade Mays —

Offensive lineman Jerome Carvin is one of the top targets left for the Vols. There isn’t much room left in the class, but Tennessee wants to bring in another offensive lineman. Bama seemed like the biggest competition for Carvin until it began to look at other options on the offensive line. Mississippi State has closed in fast on the Vols in the recruitment. The Bulldogs loom as a dark-horse threat.

Tennessee likely will take another edge rusher or outside linebacker in the class, and one of the top targets is Richard Jibunor.

Auburn seems to have a slight edge right now, but Tennessee is right there. Florida also could make some noise..

A commitment from Jibunor would solidify Tennessee’s spot as one of the best classes in the country.

Tennessee has done a good job of using some recruiting gymnastics over the past few season under coach Butch Jones to fit different players into the class. Tennessee could certainly do some similar maneuvering in this class if the right prospects came along.

Right now, I think the most likely scenario will be the Vols bringing on two more players. One on offense — either at wide receiver or the offensive line — and one on defense — either at linebacker or the defensive line.

Jerome Carvin, an offensive lineman from Cordova, Tenn., is who I think the Vols will take on offense, though wide receiver Jeshaun Jones remains a possibility.

Linebacker Cam Jones, who is also from Cordova, might be the most likely get on the defensive side of the ball. Vols backed off his recruitment over the summer, but have turned up the heat recently.

Boulware’s Tweet said: “I would like to thank the University of Tennessee for giving me the opportunity to play here throughout the years. After much prayer and consideration with my family, I’ve decided it’s best for me to pursue other options away from UT for the remainder of my collegiate career. Thanks to all who supported me and thanks to the wonderful fans of Vol Nation. God Bless!”

Boulware is a 6-foot-3, 306-pound redshirt sophomore from Union City, Ga, who made his first start this season in the Vols’ 17-13 win over Massachusetts on Oct. 23.

Boulware, who started three games in 2016, was not listed as a participant in Tennessee’s loss to Georgia last Saturday.

In terms of recruiting, the earlier Tennessee fired Butch Jones the better, if the university did indeed want to go another route with its coach. Waiting a month or two to do it wouldn’t really help the recruiting class.

Don’t forget, this year is the first of the NCAA’s new early signing period for high school football —

This early signing period might push some athletic directors to pull the trigger on coaching changes earlier than normal. If nothing else, a high school prospect would at least know a new coach is coming to the school and any uncertainty about the previous coach’s job security would be removed before the prospect makes a decision.

Class of 2018 would be better if Jones stuck around another year, rather than Tennessee bringing in a new coach. Vols have commitments from 23 prospects in the cycle right now. Even if things get really bad, Tennessee won’t lose all of those commitments.

Some commits have already opened up their commitment to explore other schools, but there has yet to be a de-commitment from the 2018 class

Vols have had two prospects — Jatavious Harris and Brendon Harris — publicly open their recruitments to other schools. There are rumors more commits have done this too, such as commit Cade Mays.

Wide receiver prospect Alontae Taylor has remained committed to Tennessee, even if it might not sound as firm as some fans would like. Taylor spoke with Matt Freeman about where he is in his recruitment.

“All I can say is that I am committed,” Taylor said. “I can’t say if it’s a hard commit or a soft commit. I am committed.”

When the coach a recruit committed to play for might not be there next season, what is the right move for the prospect?

That’s the situation 22 Tennessee Class of 2018 commits find themselves in right now. Coach Butch Jones has led the Vols to a 3-3 record, with all three losses coming from SEC opponents, and the heat is on.

Two commits, Jatavious Harris and Brendon Harris, have re-opened their recruitment, but claim to be committed to the Vols. Tennessee has backed off of communication from Jatavious Harris, so he might not have the Vols as an option too much longer.

Commits Adrian Martinez and Greg Emerson have both talked about the Vols building something, and it isn’t time to jump ship.

Most of the prospects, though, are waiting to see what happens. Some are lining up backup options, just in case.

Wide receiver commit Shocky Jacques-Louis spoke with Bud Elliot of SBnation about how he is handling everything.

“To be honest, I’m still committed to Tennessee, but I am definitely looking at other options due to, uh, certain situations at Tennessee,” Jacques-Louis said.

Q: What does Tennessee have to do to keep this recruiting class from falling apart?

I’m sure the recruits are very aware of the situation the coaching staff finds itself in. Coach Butch Jones and his group most likely must win out to keep their jobs.

I think the majority of recruits are waiting to see what happens. Some recruits, like Greg Emerson, still very much believe in Jones and are probably waiting to see if he can turn the season around.

Others might be waiting to see who the next coach will be. I think there are a fair amount of top-level commits that really like the school. If a new hire comes along and the commits fit the style, then they’ll stick with their commitment.

Q: If we keep Butch Jones, how many recruits could we lose? And could bringing in a good coach help keep the recruits at Tennessee?

Keeping Jones would likely keep the class more together than if Tennessee let him go. These players have committed to Tennessee, but maybe more so, to play for Jones.

A lot of the commits still believe in Jones, too.

If Tennessee fired Jones and hired a great head coach who recruits well, he could possibly keep most of the class together. The new coach would also have his own guys he would like to bring in too, though.

Prospects can commit to schools for a 72-hour period beginning Dec. 20.

Vols began altering their recruiting timeline once the decision came out in May. Coach Butch Jones talked on Wednesday about how recruiting is different this cycle.

“We have a plan in place in terms of the early signing date,” Jones said. “It has changed a lot of things in terms of official visits. It’s kind of changed the nature of recruiting. We’ve had a lot of in-season official visits. We’ll continue to have that. We’ve had more unofficial visitors than we’ve had in the past. That’ll be ongoing. Obviously, the first part of December, we’ll host a number of official visits as well.”

Vols have certainly pushed for the more visits [sic] during the season.

Some fans criticized Tennessee for hosting so many visits for the Georgia game on Sept. 30. It was the worst Tennessee loss in Neyland Stadium, where the Bulldogs won 41-0.

Vols hosted top prospects Jerome Carvin, Caleb Johnson and Jeshaun Jones. These are uncommitted prospects Tennessee is most likely to land, too.

NCAA introduced an early signing period that goes into effect this December. High school seniors can now sign with teams beginning Dec. 20 instead of having to wait until the first Wednesday of February.

This is a new twist athletic directors have to take into consideration when making a coaching change.

Tennessee athletic director John Currie was asked Sunday night if the early signing period affected his decision.

“The early signing period being from Dec. 20-22 is new and uncharted territory for all us, to some extent,” Currie said. “Ultimately, we have to make the decision that we believe is in the best interests of the student-athletes that we have here at the University of Tennessee right now — some are approaching graduation and others are playing their last two games in Neyland Stadium over the next couple of weeks — while we also look at the long-term future of our program. It is a variable that is new, but the core values in how we make decisions remains the same...

“Certainly, recruiting is the lifeblood of what we do, attracting great student-athletes to the University of Tennessee. All of the intangibles about what makes our program, this university, the city of Knoxville, the history and tradition of Neyland Stadium, the facilities, the academic support, the high graduation rates — all of those things are things that will continue to be attractive to student-athletes at the University of Tennessee.”

Tennessee lost two commitments — Alontae Taylor and Shock Jacques-Louis. Two more — Tanner Ingle and Dorian Gerald — announced they have opened up their recruitments.

With that in mind, here is a current look at where things stand for the Volunteers’ Class of 2018:Where Tennessee’s class ranks

The 247Sports composite ranks the Vols Class of 2018 No. 15 in the nation and No. 5 in the SEC, behind Georgia, Florida, Texas A&M and Auburn. The loss of Cade Mays’ commitment just days before Jones’ firing sent the class down a few spots.Latest news

Tennessee now holds 17 commitments, though Gerald and Ingle appear to be barely hanging on.

TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa Bay Tech coach Jayson Roberts has a difficult time believing Phillip Fulmer could have been involved in the process of pulling a scholarship offer from his quarterback, Michael Penix.

Roberts has never met Fulmer, but he knows the Tennessee athletic director had a sterling reputation during his Hall of Fame coaching career with the Volunteers. His impression from afar is that Fulmer is a man of integrity who did the right things in recruiting.

“I know that as an athletic director he has a lot to oversee,” Roberts said Thursday. “I can’t imagine he had a hand in how Tennessee’s new staff dealt with this.”

Fulmer is indeed a beloved figure in the Volunteer State, and a man the Vols fan base has rallied around since he took over as athletic director on Dec. 1. Thus, Roberts and others remain stunned at the awkward and uncharacteristic nature with which the new Tennessee staff cut ties to Penix, a well-respected 3-star recruit.

Penix, who had been committed to the Vols since April, stuck with Tennessee through Butch Jones’ Nov. 12 firing, a 26-day coaching search and the hiring of new coach Jeremy Pruitt.

It’s Pruitt’s first time as a college head coach, and calling the 11 players who were committed to Tennessee at the time was almost certainly one of the first things on his to-do list. Sure enough, Pruitt called Penix last week to tell the quarterback he was honoring his commitment.

That changed Wednesday, when Penix received a text asking him to call the UT football office. Penix said that when he made the call, new offensive coordinator Ty Helton told him not to come on the official visit to Knoxville that had been planned months earlier.

Apparently, the Vols had another pro style quarterback they were bringing in.

SEC Country projects eight early signees for Tennessee this week from commits in the Class of 2018. The number could change as the new coaching staff under Jeremy Pruitt hope to receive a few early Christmas presents.

Here’s what you need to know about the early signing period:What is the early signing period?

This is a rule the NCAA put into place back in May. It is a 72-hour time frame for recruits to sign their National Letters of Intent. This moves up the clock from the usual signing day, which is the first Wednesday in February.

This is the first time football has tried an early signing period. It is common in other sports. Basketball, for instance, has a few signing periods throughout the year.When is the early signing period?

The early signing period begins Wednesday, Dec. 20 and lasts until Friday, Dec. 22.

Copeland is a playmaker, which the Vols badly need at wide receiver. The Pensacola, Fla., native is a 4-star prospect and ranks as the No. 9 wide receiver.

He had very little interest in Tennessee before Pruitt came. Now, the Vols are in the thick of the race with Alabama.

Tennessee struggled to produce big plays last season from the wide receiver group.

Griffin makes a lot of sense as an important prospect because Tennessee needs bodies at corner. Three cornerbacks exhausted their eligibility from the 2017 roster, and junior Rashaan Gaulden could forgo his final senior for the NFL draft.

Vols need players who can fill a lot of playing time. With no secondary commitments at this time, it very well might be the most important need.

Griffin is a 4-star prospect who could play right away. He is a UCLA commit, but following an official visit to Knoxville, Tenn., he took all mention of the Bruins off his Twitter account.